View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What happens to Amara?

2. What does Palinor ask Dolca to do?

3. What does Palinor ask?

4. Where does Amara go?

5. What is one odd characteristic of Amara?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why don't Margalida and Josefa get along?

2. What does Severo suggest to Beneditx?

3. How does Sor Blancha realize Amara misses Josefa and what happens when she does?

4. What does Severo think about as he falls asleep the first night of visiting Palinor and Beneditx?

5. Where does Palinor travel to find help and what does the prefect observe about him?

6. What do the nuns decide to do with Amara first and how do they do it?

7. What about Gaspar and his life does Severo think of while he is riding to see Palinor?

8. What is the creature, the nervados, tracked doing when they see it and what happens in the first few minutes?

9. What does Severo tell the nuns about Amara's suffering?

10. What does Palinor tell Beneditx about his view of the truth?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Palinor commits what we would be considered horrible sexual sin in the eyes of Grandinsula's religious people. He has sex with a boy and a girl, and then watches them have sex with each other. Dolca and Joffre don't protest, however, and they seem to enjoy the learning experience. In this case, "sin" is presented as something that can be enjoyable and uplifting rather than something destructive and hurtful.

1. Do you think the definition of a "sin" which is to say something morally wrong differs from culture to culture? Why or why not?

2. It has been debated through the ages whether everyone sees immorality as representing the same behaviors. Why do you think Palinor's definition of morality is different from Beneditx's?

3. In a culture where an institution such as the church or the government defines what are right and wrong acts who benefits from the power that control people's lives with the threat of "sin" or the definition of morality? What would be the advantage to an institution to convince people that institution was the only authority that could define right and wrong?

Essay Topic 2

The fiery scene that Palinor encounters, as he enters Ciudad, represents Palinor's fear of dying by fire, and his fate in hell that religious leaders believe awaits unrepentant heretics. Fire is the one connection that Palinor shares with his religious adversaries and the only thing Palinor seems to be afraid of.

1. Discuss the symbolism surrounding the scene when Palinor rides into Ciudad.

2. Discuss in detail what kind of man do you think Fra Murta is that he would have the people out on the streets with torches for Palinor to see.

3. Why is Palinor's fear of dying by fire reasonable?

Essay Topic 3

Fra Murta believes a country without religion sounds horrible, as religious leaders believe people's belief in God is the only thing that keeps them from sinning. Palinor counters by saying that people also will abide by laws, because they make sense, again providing an alternate explanation for something Grandinsula's leaders previously have attributed only to God.

1. Do you think people obey the law in America because the law makes sense? Why or why not?

2. Do you think Palinor's statement about the law holds true for every person who lives in Aclar? Why or why not?

3. Why do you think the religious leaders have such little faith in men obeying the law?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,146 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample